The Lower House’s Finance Committee Tuesday debated the draft budget law for the year 2023 in the attendance of cabinet ministers, who gave briefings on key aspects of government policy.
The government team briefed the lawmakers on the main features of the budget during a meeting, which was attended by Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs and Minister of State for Public Sector Modernization Nasser Shraideh, and the ministers of Finance Mohammad Al Ississ, Energy and Mineral Resources Saleh Kharabsheh, Investment Kholoud Saqqaf, Tourism and Antiquities Makram Qaisi, Industry, Trade and Supply Yousef Shamali and environment Muawiya Radaydeh, as well as Central Bank Governor Adel Sharkas.
Committee Chairman, lawmaker Nimir Sleihat said today’s meeting was to put lawmakers in the picture of plans, projects, economic vision and monetary policy and stability.
He said the ministers spoke of enhancing the investment environment in various sectors, especially mining and tourism.
Shraideh said the government is working to translate the economic vision launched by His Majesty King Abdullah in June, as key legislation, including the investment environment law, was finalized to promote the business environment and provide incentives to investors.
He stressed the importance of the tourism sector in creating job opportunities, adding that the necessary funding has been allocated to prop up the sector, which saw a recovery last year that beat expectations, and “this year we aspire for more success.”
Kharabsheh, the energy minister, said ministries are required to set a timeline for each project under the modernization scheme with accountability, adding that the ministry signed six memorandums of understanding for the exploration of minerals in the Kingdom.
Ississ said that the global situation “is extremely complex in light of the circumstances that the world went through, and is still,” but Jordan managed to rein in inflation, compared to developed countries, where it ran at over 8 percent, adding that growth in world countries fell short of International Monetary Fund projections.
Jordan, he said, maintained growth, which is expected to be 2.7 percent this year, as well as financial stability and the exchange rate of the Jordanian dinar.
The other cabinet members also outlined their ministries’ performance and strategies of sectors.
Source: Jordan News Agency